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Judge Dennis D. Carroll – Circuit Court, Division 6
Born in neighboring Illinois, Judge Dennis Carroll came to Indiana to study at Anderson University
where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Education in 1969. Judge Carroll was
employed as a High School English teacher and debate coach before he decided to apply to the Indiana
University School of Law where he enrolled and graduated in 1974 with a Doctorate of Jurisprudence
degree. After earning his Law degree, Judge Carroll served as the first Executive Director of the East
Central Indiana Legal Services Program from 1974-1977, and as an Adjunct Professor and Coordinator of
Pre-Law Studies at Anderson University from 1977-1980. Judge Carroll also maintained a private law
practice during his service at Anderson University. Judge Carroll’s post-graduate and continuing
education studies have included work at Ball State University, the National Judicial College, the Harvard
Law School, and the Center for Economics and Law at George Mason University Law School.
Judge Carroll was first elected to the bench of the Madison Superior Court (now Madison Circuit
Court, Division 6) in November of 1980, and he began serving his first six year term on January 1, 1981.
Judge Carroll has been re-elected at the conclusion of each six year cycle. At the end of 2014, he will
have completed 34 years of judicial service. Judge Carroll has also served several terms as Chief Judge of
the Unified Courts of Madison County. In addition, he has been an elected member of the Board of
Directors of the Indiana Judicial Conference. In other statewide assignments, Judge Carroll was
appointed by the Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court to serve on a variety of assignments
including the Supreme Court Select Committee on Judicial Ethics, Chairman of the Education Committee
of the Indiana Judicial Conference, and Chairman of the Criminal Law and Policy Committee of the State
Judiciary.
In 2007, Judge Carroll founded a specialty court for Madison County, the Mental Health Court. In
2010, that court became the first Mental Health Court to earn accreditation as certified by the State of
Indiana. Also in 2010, presiding Chief Judge Carroll and his judicial team applied for and received a
federal grant award in the amount of $970,000 to expand and coordinate Mental Health Services in the
Madison County Courts under the banner of Problem Solving Courts. The Madison County Problem
Solving Courts were one of only two courts in the nation to receive such an award.
In the community, Judge Carroll serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of
Anderson University and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of
Community Hospital. He has also served on the Boards of the Madison County Urban League and the
Anderson/Madison County Visitor and Convention Bureau.
Judge Carroll and his wife, Emily, have been nationally recognized for their work in adoption
advocacy, and locally they have received The Exchange Club’s highest award, the Book of Golden Deeds.
Judge and Mrs. Carroll are the parents of 4 adult children, and they have eight grandchildren.